Treatment of hydrocarbon oils



Sept. 25, 1934. N. G. DE RAcHAT TREATMENT OFVHYDROCARBON OILS Filed NOV, l 17, 1950 r Hnuuunnullhllz. m o.. N K mmmmmm nv Mlwmmmmw nu mv mv ,mmmmmmw TL; mmmmm n mmmmmmu Y mm A" M l Aw: ..m.m.m.m..mmPn J5 am. Y e .Nom Y v A in n fm. M3212 om\ Kvm n 02o 3 21 im oZFSbm J uw A mm fwmmmzzo ma OZFSFom mozorGL. Sxf Nm n N. .um El mm fmo.r zo .5 m N\ -lNvE-NTR NICHOLAS DE RACl-IAT BY 5F o ATTORNE Patented Sept. Z5, 1934 TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS Nicholas G. de Rachat, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of South Dakota Application November' 17, 1930, Serial No. 496,098

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of hydrocarbon oils and particularly refers to an improved process and apparatus-for the conversion of hydrocarbon oils into relatively light and relatively heavy products and for the subsequent treatment of the relatively heavy residual oil.

One of the features of the present invention comprises discharging hydrocarbon oil heated to the conversion temperature to a rapidly revolving disc disposed within an enlarged zone to assist in the `vaporizejticn of the volatile constituents oi the oil and to effect quick separation of the vapors from the unvaporized residual products, subjecting the vapors to any desired further treatment, removing the unvaporized residual oil to a Zone of reduced pressure in which it is passed to the suriaceoi a rapidly rotating disc to assist its vfurther vaporizaticn, subjecting the vapors evolved in said zone of reduced pressure to any desired subsequent treatment and removing the residual oil remaining unvaporized from said zone oi reduced pressure.

Tlic single attached diagrammatic drawing illustrates one form of apparatus in which the principles of the present invention may be utilized.

Referring in detail to the drawing, raw oil charging stock supplied through line 1 and valve 2 to pump 8 may be fedl through line 4 and valve 5 to iractionator E where'it is preheated by contact with the relatively hot vapors which it assists to fractionate in this zone, passing together with their relatively heavy condensed portion through line 'l and valve 6 to pump 9 from which the combined material is fed through line and valve l1 to iractionator l2. In fractionator l2 it assists fractionation of the vapors and is further heated by Contact therewith passing together with the insufliciently converted and condensed portion of y the vapors through line 13 and valve 14 to pump l5. Pump l5 supplies the combined ieed through line i6 and valve l'? to heating element 18.

Heating element 18 is located in any suitable form of furnace i9 and the oil passing therethrough is heated to the desired conversion temperature underany desired pressure conditions, preferably under a substantial super-atmospheric pressure. The heated materials may be discharged through line 20 and valve 2l to reaction chamber 22. Reaction chamber 22 is alsopreferably maintained under a substantial super-atmosphericv pressure although reduced pressure relative to that employed in heating element 1S may be utilized, if desired.

A rapidly rotating disc 23 driven by any suitable (Cl. ESS-53) means, such as electric motor 24, may be located preferably in the lower portion of chamber 22 and the materials from heating element 18 are discharged at the conversion temperature to the surface of the rapidly rotating disc. By impingee@ ment of the heated materials upon the rapidly rotating surface of the discA and by the centrifugal force imparted thereto, vaporizationr of the components of the heated materials which are volatile under the pressure conditions employed 65 within the chamber and separation of the vapors from the unvaporized oil is greatly accelerated.

Vapors from chamber 22 pass through line 25 and valve 26 to fracticnator 12 where separation of their relatively light components of the desired 70 boiling range is effected. These relatively light fractionated vapors passl through line 27 and valve 28; are subjected to condensation and coolingfin condenser 29 passing, as distillate and` 1111- condensable gas through line 30 and valve 31 to 75 be collected in receiver 32. Distillate may be withdrawn from receiver 32 through line 33 and valve 34. Uncondensable gas may be released through line 35 controlled by valve 36. Any desired portion of the distillate may be withdrawn so' from receiver 32 through line 37 and valve 38 and may be recirculated by means of pump 39 through line 40 and valve 41 to fractionator 12 to assist fractionation of the vapors in this Zone.

Preferably no substantial body of unvaporized 35 liquid is allowed to accumulate in chamber 22, said liquid being removed through line 42 and valve 43 to chamber 44 which is preferably maintained under substantially reduced pressure relative to that employed in chamber 22. A rapidly rotating disc 45, driven by any suitable means, such as an electric motor 46, may be located preferably within the upper portion of chamber 44 and the unvaporized oil removed from chamber 22 may be passed to the surface of this disc. The action of the disc greatly accelerates the vaporization oi the oil at the reduced pressure and also tends to disperse any agglomerated pitch-like or carbonaceous materials in the unvaporized residual liquid, rendering it more homogeneous and substantially free from B.S. and suspended carbonaceous material.

Residual oil remaining unvaporized in chamber 44 may be removed through line 47 and valve 48. Vapors evolved in chamber 44 pass through 195A' line 49 and valve 50 to fractionator 6 where separation oi their relatively light components is effected. These relatively light fractionated vapors of the desired boiling range pass through line 51 and valve 52, are subjected to condensation and 11o;

cooling in condenser 53 passing as distillate and gas therefrom through line 54 and valve 55 to receiver 56. Distillate may be Withdrawn from receiver 56 through line 57 and valve 58. Incondensable gas may be released through line 59 controlled by valve 60.

Pressures employed Within the system may range from sub-atmospheric to super-atmospheric pressures as high as 250G pounds or more per square inch. The cracking system may be operated under substantially equalized superatxnospheric pressure or differential pressures may be employed between the various elements. The heating element and reaction chamber, as already stated, are preferably operated under a substantially super-atmospheric pressure which may be substantially the same in both elements or may be somewhat reduced in the reaction chamber. The succeeding portions of the cracking system may be operated under any desired pressure. The residuurn redistilling system is preferably operated under a substantially reduced pressure relan tive to that employed in the reaction chamber of the cracking system, which pressure may be relatively loW super-atmospheric, substantially atmospheric or sub-atmospheric. Conversion temperatures employed may range from 750 to 1200o F., more or less.

As a specific example of operating conditions which may be employed and results which may be obtained in a system such as above illustrated, a 24e26 API. gravity reduced crude is subjected to a temperature of approximately 8%" F. under a super-atmospheric pressure of about 290 pounds per square inch, which is maintained throughout the entire cracking system. The residuurn redistilling system is maintained under a reduced pressure of about 30 pounds per square inch. This operation yields about 56 per cent of motor fuel of good anti-knock value, about 14 per cent of pressure distillate bottoms and about 23 per cent of fuel oil, having a viscosity of about 120 seconds, Saybolt Furol, at 122 F. and less than 1 per cent B.S.&W.

It is to be understood, of course, that the above example is merely given for purposes of illustration and is not intended as a limitation upon my invention.

I claim as my invention:

A hydrocarbon oil cracking process which comprises passing the oil in a restricted stream through a heating zone and heating the same therein to cracking temperature under pressure, discharging such heated oil into a vapor separating zone and impinging the same substantially at right angles against a rapidly rotating disc in the separating Zone to impart centrifugal velocity to the oil, separating the oil into vapors and residue in the separating zone, and removing and condensing the vapors.

El. A hydrocarbon oil cracking process which comprises passing the oil in a restricted stream through a heating zone and heating the same therein to cracking temperature under pressure, introducing the hot oil stream to a reaction zone maintained under cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, continuously removing vapors and unvaporized oil from the reaction zone, delivering the unvaporized oil to a flashing zone maintained under lower pressure than the reaction Zone and impinging the same substantially at right angles against a rapidly rotating disc therein to impart centrifugal velocity to the unvaporized oil, flash distilling the unvaporized oil by pressure reduction in the flashing Zone, and removing and condensing the flashed vapors.

NICHOLAS G. DE RACHAT. 

